Immune Systems Matter
Jeffrey I. Barke, M.D.
From the day we are born we are bombarded by germs - by the millions if not billions on a daily basis.
Our existence is dependent on a robust immune system - that is the ability of our body to fight off and prepare for war - an epic battle against bacteria, viruses, fungus, mold and likely pathogens yet to be discovered.
Fortunately we were created with a powerful standing army ready for each battle and capable of winning most wars.
In order for our standing immune system army to be prepared it has to train regularly and recruit new members to the effort. The moment we are born (and even before) our immune system is exposed to germs. The result is our body creates germ specific special ops fighters to defeat the enemy. Each time we are exposed to new or old combatants our immune system grows stronger.
It is healthy and necessary for our survival to be exposed and recover to fight another day.
If we purposely prevent such exposure we may have short term gain but have long term devastating consequences.
You may remember a Seinfeld episode titled “The Bubble Boy” in which a boy needed to live inside a plastic bubble because he did not have a functioning immune system - it doesn't end well for the “Bubble Boy” when his germ free bubble is violated and he is exposed to germs.
Modern society has gone overboard with deploying antibacterial soap and cleaning products, which indiscriminately kill germs – including good bacteria that help maintain a strong and diverse microbiome. “Kills up to 99.9% of common germs” reads one bottle of hand sanitizer. Everyone has a microbiome, a collection of more than 100 trillion microbes that live on and in our body, the majority in our large intestine. The more diverse your microbiome is, the healthier you are.
A growing body of research is showing that microbes – microscopic organisms such as bacteria, fungi, molds, and viruses – and dirt are crucial for our well-being. Research indicates that early exposures to a variety of microbes may help lower the risk of developing conditions like asthma, allergies and even infectious diseases. Think of it this way - if you exercise regularly and your body is fit, you are less likely to be injured, overweight, have cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. When you stop exercising your level of fitness declines and with it all the benefits. Your immune system works similarly - stimulate it regularly and you are more likely to win the battles against germs, including COVID-19.
With COVID-19 we have gone “Bubble Boy” sterilization crazy and it is not helping us. We now sanitize everything: door handles, gas pumps, groceries, our bodies. We are cleaning our homes like they are an ICU unit of a hospital. I have one patient who came home from the market, took all his clothes off outside, hosed himself off, put his clothes in a bag, and then immediately took a hot shower. The fear of COVID-19 is driving us to unhealthful and crazy behavior.
Here are some ways to boost your immune system naturally:
A healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables
Regular exercise
Fresh air and sunshine
I also recommend taking a few different supplements to boost your immune health.
It is time we stop the madness, stop living in fear, pick ourselves up, rub a little dirt on it, and go about living our lives. Your immune system will thank you!